Category: farming earnings

In a world where most young professionals pursue secure corporate jobs, Mukesh Kushwaha from Bardoura village near Bina in Madhya Pradesh made a bold move—he left behind a promising career in mechanical engineering to embrace farming. Today, he earns over ₹20 lakh annually through modern vegetable farming and provides employment to 20–25 people in his village. Here’s his inspiring transformation from an engineer to a successful agro-entrepreneur.

Early Life and Career Shift

Mukesh always dreamed of becoming an engineer. After completing his diploma in Mechanical Engineering from Khurai Polytechnic College in 2003, he landed a job offer in a highway construction company in 2004. However, the offered salary of just ₹6,000 per month didn’t sit well with him. Disillusioned, he returned to his village and joined his father in traditional vegetable farming on 12 acres of land.

At that time, the return on investment was modest—only ₹5–7 lakh per year, despite the hard work. That’s when Mukesh decided to modernize their farming methods.

Training and Modern Farming Transformation

With a thirst for knowledge and improvement, Mukesh approached the Horticulture Department. He was introduced to advanced farming techniques like drip irrigation, mulching, and raised-bed farming. He was also part of an exposure tour to Maharashtra and Karnataka, where he saw farmers reaping big profits using modern techniques.

This experience was a turning point. Inspired by what he saw, Mukesh returned home and began implementing these techniques. His productivity skyrocketed. Over time, he acquired 13 more acres, taking his total farmland to 25 acres.

High-Yield, Low-Cost Farming Model

Today, Mukesh grows a variety of vegetables including:

Potatoes

Onions

Tomatoes

Eggplants (brinjal)

Carrots

Spinach

Fenugreek

Coriander

Radish

Green peas

Earnings Breakdown (Per Year):

Crop Area (Acres) Production Revenue

Potatoes 9 acres 800 quintals ₹9.6 lakh
Onions 12 acres 1200 quintals ₹14.4 lakh
Brinjal + Tomato 3 acres – ₹5.5 lakh
Mixed Vegetables 1 acre – ₹1.5 lakh
Total Income 25 acres – ₹31 lakh (approx.)
Net Profit – – ₹18–19 lakh after expenses

His produce is supplied to Bina, Sagar, Khurai, and Bhopal markets.

Tomato Farming for Year-Round Income

Mukesh also promotes tomato farming as a profitable crop that can be grown year-round with the right infrastructure. With drip irrigation, mulching, and proper fencing, a farmer can earn 4 to 10 times more than traditional methods.

Scientific Storage Techniques

To prevent losses from fluctuating market rates, Mukesh has mastered modern onion storage. He uses exhaust fans, bamboo fencing, and net layering over bricks to store onions for up to a year without spoilage.

Giving Back to the Community

Mukesh isn’t just a farmer—he’s a mentor. He guides fellow farmers in modern techniques and helps them improve their income. Recognizing his leadership and dedication, his village elected his wife, Mamta Kushwaha, as the village Sarpanch. Mukesh himself now serves as the Rural Wing President of BJP in the region.

What is Mulching and Why It Matters?

Mulching is the practice of covering soil with organic or synthetic materials to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and enhance fertility. Mukesh uses high-quality mulching sheets that last 2–3 crop cycles. While the initial cost is ₹12,000–15,000 per acre, the returns outweigh the expense.

Conclusion

Mukesh Kushwaha’s story is a shining example of how knowledge, innovation, and courage to break societal norms can transform lives. By adopting scientific farming, he turned a modest family farm into a thriving agribusiness. His journey is not only an inspiration for Indian farmers but also a blueprint for future agri-entrepreneurs who wish to make farming a profitable and respected career.

In a time when food production has become a central topic for everyone, we want to share the story of a man who has never left agriculture and who, even today, tends to his olive and almond trees with care. This is Michele Lobascio, father of the Terradiva family, who long before the brand was born, consolidated the family farm. Behind the brand and the choice of organic agriculture, there are years of experiences, efforts, battles, human relationships, and social changes in Southern Italy and in the way of being farmers. This interview is divided into two parts, covering Michele’s life from childhood to the 1990s.

Part 1: Childhood Memories and Sharecropping (1960s)

Michele has been going to the fields since the age of seven, helping his father. In those days, the family also had animals — a horse, mule, and mare — which were the tractors of the time. Children assisted adults in animal surveillance during the “controra,” the early afternoon rest period after lunch when farmers took a break. The workday was long, from dawn around 5 AM until sunset, making the afternoon rest essential.

Animals played a crucial role: they helped plow the land, transported goods, and enabled travel between the town of Minervino Murge and the countryside. On the cart pulled by the mule and mare, it took about two hours to reach the fields on the Murgia plateau. Plowing was important for preparing the soil for sowing, breaking up clods and making it fertile for seeds. What took animals and men three full working days to do for one hectare of land back then now takes only two hours with modern machinery.

Michele helped with olive and grape harvests, and the transportation of pruning waste, which was piled outside the fields.

As a child, Michele viewed farming as an exhausting job, since farmers had to work outdoors regardless of weather conditions — rain, wind, sun, or cold. However, he admired the independence farmers had in organizing their work despite being sharecroppers.

What did it mean to be a sharecropper?
Sharecropping was a form of land management where the landowner provided the land and the laborers provided the work, organization, and manpower. Initially, the harvest was split 50/50 between owners and laborers. After laborers’ struggles, the split became 60% for laborers, who also demanded that owners supply fertilizer.

Michele’s father and other laborers eventually left sharecropping because it was not remunerative enough. Michele recalls the landowner’s visits in his Fiat 1100 car, overseeing the work and asking children to pick fallen almonds during harvest.

In summer, when school ended, Michele’s family stayed in the countryside for weeks at a time, sleeping on beds made from straw bales. Days started before sunrise and ended soon after sunset. In the evenings, friends of Michele’s father would tell stories and tales after feeding the animals. The animals were well cared for, cleaned, and groomed carefully, as they were the tractors of that era. Loyal dogs named Giglio and Bobby kept the family company through changing generations.

Part 2: The Land Occupation Movement and Cooperative Farming (1970s–1990s)

At the age of twenty, Michele actively participated in the land occupation movement in Minervino Murge during 1977-78. At that time, a national law aimed to help unemployed young people by allowing them to occupy poorly cultivated lands to make them productive.

In Minervino Murge, a large farm owned by a charity but managed by the Municipality was the target of the occupation. This farm was a legacy of the Counts Corsi, intended to fund schooling for laborers’ children through its proceeds.

The occupation was a struggle that lasted months. Each time the police cleared them from the land, Michele and the other young unemployed people would return and peacefully sit down, ready to be removed again. This repeated cycle eventually convinced the authorities to recognize their efforts and assign the lands to them.

The struggle even led to a trial in the municipal council chamber, and their story gained national media attention.

RAI, the Italian state TV, broadcasted a documentary on the agricultural laborers’ struggles in Minervino Murge. The documentary was viewed all over Italy and brought support from cooperatives in Emilia-Romagna, especially from Sant’Alberto, Ravenna.

Bruno Taroni, manager of a large cooperative in Sant’Alberto, wrote Michele a letter encouraging them not to give up. This led to a valuable collaboration between the cooperative in Puglia and those in Emilia-Romagna. Michele was invited to their annual cooperative celebration, where he met with agronomists and cooperative staff who helped structure their new cooperative.

Michele’s cooperative was named “Carmine Giorgio” after a local baker and early 20th-century laborer’s rights activist from Minervino. Through support from the League of Cooperatives of the Ravenna Federation, they received essential farming equipment like tractors, irrigation systems, and tools to help shift their land from mainly wheat cultivation to diverse fruit and vegetable farming.

Later, Michele was also involved with another cooperative, “La Primula” — named after the first flower to bloom after winter. These cooperative experiences were a vital training ground: sharing ideas, teamwork, and learning to navigate different opinions.

After some years, Michele worked in processing and marketing agricultural products. This period helped him understand the complexities of large-scale distribution, from sorting vegetables and table grapes to the inner workings of distribution centers.

Finally, in 1999, Michele decided to leave the processing industry behind and focus exclusively on transforming and running his family’s farm. This led to Terradiva becoming an organic-certified farm, dedicated to sustainable and chemical-free agriculture.

Michele’s Advice to Young Farmers

Agriculture is a job for those who love it. Trees and plants are alive and fragile, needing constant care and attention. You can’t work only when it suits you—they require daily dedication and understanding.

Today, Michele knows every tree on his land—their diseases, root problems, and unique needs. Caring for plants is like dealing with people; it requires empathy and attentiveness.

When asked about innovation, Michele says it means finding ways to live better, reducing fatigue, and enabling easier production. Agriculture is exhausting and far from the romantic images often portrayed in the media. Innovation helps produce more with less effort and without toxic chemicals.

This is the story of a farmer who never left the land—who fought for it, nurtured it, and transformed it. Michele Lobascio’s journey is one of resilience, community, and commitment to a better, organic future.

Did you know that urban farming can not only help you grow food for your family, but also benefit your entire community and the environment? This is the story of Greg Peterson, who has worked in urban farming for over 40 years and is one of the field’s leading educators and inspirations.

The Beginnings of Urban Farming

In 1975, Greg and his family moved into the Weldon House, a small half-acre plot. Greg was just 14 years old at the time. His parents started teaching him gardening—“The right side of the garden is yours, go dig,” his mother said. That’s where Greg first learned to grow cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, and began planting thousands of fruit trees.

Permaculture: A New Thought

After buying his first home in 1989, Greg began taking urban farming seriously. But the real change came in 1991 when he learned about permaculture. Permaculture is a way of farming in harmony with nature, where all elements support each other and nothing is wasted. Greg dedicated his 1/3 acre homestead to full food production, growing vegetables instead of flowers and fruit trees instead of non-food trees.

A Combination of Education and Experience

To further enhance his work experience, Greg received a Bachelors of Interdisciplinary Studies in 2004 and a Masters in Urban and Environmental Planning in 2006 from Arizona State University. In 2001, at the urging of a professor, he wrote a mission and vision for his life, and this is when the concept of Urban Farm was formed.

Contributing to the Community

Over the past 15 years, Greg has held several farming and gardening classes, opened the Urban Farm to the public, and run a successful fruit tree planting program that planted over 10,000 trees. In 2011, he began teaching Sustainable Food and Farms at Arizona State University.

Get Connected to Urban Farming

This story isn’t just Greg’s, it’s yours too. Through UrbanFarm.org, Greg shares knowledge, resources, and inspiration for urban farmers all over the world to help you start your own urban farm.

There are many problems with today’s agricultural system—we have too much food, but it’s poor in nutrition and harmful to the environment and human health. Urban farmers are a ray of hope in this situation. They’re doing good for their families and communities by growing local, fresh, and chemical-free food.

Get started!

So what are you waiting for? Name your urban farm, connect with your local farmers, and be a part of this green revolution. Urban farming will not only allow you to grow delicious and fresh food, but also build a new relationship with nature. What can we learn from Greg Peterson?

Growing your own food is possible through urban farming: Greg showed that even in the smallest of plots, you can grow fresh, healthy, and chemical-free food.

Living in harmony with nature is important: Through permaculture, he taught that farming is successful only when we help nature, not fight it.

Any place can be turned into fertile land: By replacing flower beds and non-edible trees, the entire land can be made edible.

The power of the local community: Greg planted more than 10,000 fruit trees in his area and built a strong farming community by connecting people together.

Urban farming protects both environment and health: By growing fresh and nutritious food, we can avoid chemical-laden market food and also protect the environment.

Continuous learning and experimentation: Greg adopted new methods through books and studies as well as self-experimentation that made him an even better farmer.

Everyone can become an urban farmer: Greg’s story inspires us that whether you have a small or big space, you too can bring prosperity in your life by farming.

Your step?

Now these lessons are for you—make your land or terrace, garden or balcony fertile, connect with local farmers, and contribute to the urban farming revolution.

Do you dream of growing your own fresh, organic vegetables but feel lost about where to start? You’re not alone. Urban life often leaves little space or knowledge for gardening. But Dr. Viswanath Kadur, the pioneer of terrace gardening in India, is here to change that. With decades of experience and thousands of happy gardeners inspired by him, Dr. Kadur reveals the secrets to creating a thriving terrace garden, right on your rooftop.

Who is Dr. Viswanath Kadur?

Dr. Kadur’s journey into terrace gardening is as inspiring as his garden is lush. An entomologist by profession, he also pursued film production in the USA and returned to India to make agricultural documentaries. But an unexpected flight delay over Bangalore sparked an idea that changed his life — and the lives of thousands of urban dwellers.

As he looked down at the city rooftops, Dr. Kadur realized how much potential these open spaces had. They could cool the city by covering hot roofs with greenery and bring back the kitchen gardening culture that was fading from urban homes. Inspired, he started growing vegetables on his own terrace, recreating the backyard gardens his family once had.

Since 1995, Dr. Kadur has been organizing workshops and community events, helping people everywhere to start their own terrace gardens. His team, including urban gardeners like Laxminarayan Srinivasaiah and Dr. Rajendra, has built one of the largest urban gardening communities — with over 23,000 members worldwide.

Secret #1: Getting the Right Space for Your Terrace Garden

Your terrace can be a fertile garden space if you plan it right. If your building follows good construction practices, it can support anything from pots filled with vegetables to even trees.

Use pots for beginners — easy and less risk of leakage

Create a soil bed or lawn by covering the terrace floor with soil, but waterproof the surface underneath to avoid leaks into your home

You can experiment — terraces can handle more than you think!

Secret #2: Use Nutrient-Rich Soil Mix

The soil you use makes a huge difference in your garden’s success.

Dr. Kadur recommends a balanced mix of:

Regular soil

Compost

Coir peat (or sand)

Vermicompost

Mix all these in equal parts for best results

After heavy rains, replenish nutrients by adding compost weekly, since water can wash away essential nutrients

Secret #3: If You’re a First-Time Gardener, Start Small

Starting your terrace garden can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.

Begin with just one small pot and grow a single vegetable

Easy veggies like tomatoes and chillies are perfect for beginners as they need minimal care

Be patient — plants may take a few months before giving you produce

Gradually expand your garden as your confidence grows

Secret #4: What Can You Grow in a Terrace Garden?

According to Dr. Kadur, the possibilities are almost endless:

Vegetables: Tomatoes, brinjals, chillies, okra, french beans, cucumbers, ridge gourd, bottle gourd

Root vegetables: Potatoes, onions, radish, carrots, groundnuts (need more space)

Fruits: Guava, banana, coconut — these have been grown successfully on terraces

Trees: Even bigger trees can grow if the terrace is strong, but avoid mango trees for beginners as they require lots of care

Dr. Kadur even shared seeing a coconut tree on a terrace!

Secret #5: Regular Watering and Enough Sunlight are Essential

Water your garden twice a day in summer, less in winter depending on soil moisture

Avoid watering on rainy days or immediately after rain, as excess water drains nutrients from the soil

Ensure the garden gets at least 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight daily

In extremely hot regions, use shading to prevent plants from scorching

Use rainwater harvesting to save water and make your own compost from kitchen waste for a sustainable garden

Bonus: Join ‘Oota From Your Thota’ — The Terrace Gardeners’ Mela

One common problem gardeners face is scattered sources of supplies — seeds here, pots there. Dr. Kadur’s team organizes a quarterly event called ‘Oota From Your Thota’ (OFYT) which gathers everything a terrace gardener needs under one roof.

Seeds, pots, soil, fertilizers, tools — all in one place

Workshops, demos, and discussions on organic farming, rainwater harvesting, vertical gardening, solar lighting, and more

Perfect for beginners and experts alike to learn and connect

Why Terrace Gardening Matters

Bangalore alone has over 5,000 terrace gardens, thanks to efforts by Dr. Kadur and his team. Terrace gardening helps:

Reduce the urban heat island effect

Provide fresh, organic vegetables within your home

Reconnect urban residents with nature and food sources

Create opportunities for income, especially when introduced in slums and schools

Dr. Kadur envisions a future where urban gardening supports the country’s food needs and reduces pressure on rural farmlands. He also encourages schools to adopt organic farming to teach children the value of growing their own food.

Final Words from Dr. Viswanath Kadur

“Put your soul into it, throw seeds and take care of them,” says Dr. Kadur. “Treat your plants like your babies, and they will reward you with amazing harvests.”

Ready to Start Your Own Terrace Garden?

Choose your space

Get the right soil mix

Start small and simple

Grow what you love and what’s easy

Water regularly and ensure good sunlight

Join a community for support and resources

Your urban terrace garden can transform your life — giving you fresh food, fresh air, and a fresh perspective. So why wait? Start sowing those seeds today!